[Cnaterlot - Celestia's bedchambers Third Person POV.]
Celestia held a curious stare on her sister for some time now. She could tell that Luna had gone through a metamorphosis of some kind. That's the only conclusion she could draw for the moment. But matters on her sister's change will have to come later. For now, Celestia wanted the details on the mare currently occupying her bed.
"Luna, what exactly happened? Who is this mare?"
Luna let out an exasperated sigh as she spoke. "Her name is Radiant Hope. The same mare we once took under our tutelage a millennium ago..." Celestia's eyes shot out at this revelation. "She left from our teachings shortly before the Crystal Empire vanished from this plane."
Celestia quietly stood there deep in thought. It was all coming back to her now. The feeling of familiarity she had was starting to make sense. "She was an up-and-coming student. Perhaps more so than Twilight and Sunset ever were. What led her down this path?"
"...Sombra..."
Celestia scrunched up her face in disgust at the mere mention of his name. "That lonesome tyrant. Is nothing sacred to him any longer? It is evident he manipulated Hope for his gain. We should-"
"NO! No, sister. It is not what you believe. We may have been rash when it came to dealing with Sombra."
"Luna, you saw the state of the Empire when we arrived there. The slave enclave, the constant presence of bleak hopelessness, the crystal golems were patrolling the streets. How could we have misread anything?" Celestia challenged.
"Hope holds a personal attachment with Sombra, Tia! It is likely they were and remain, friends!"
"So are you implying that we were mistaken in our choice? That Hope was just as evil as Sombra is now?"
Luna paused for a moment to collect her thoughts. "I do not believe so-- We only know of Sombra as the tyrant he is now. We have no means of knowing how he was before." Celestia to hesitated at this. In her effort to demonized Sombra, she never considered that he was once actually good. "This debate will have to be put on hold for now. We must journey to the Crystal Empire at once. I fear that ill tidings will soon befall it!"
"How have you come to this conclusion?"
"During our battle, I overheard Hope uttered the phrase 'Umbrum.' I am sure you know what this brings,"
Both of the royal sisters were silent as the gravity of the situation took hold. "Then we must hurry at once. Twilight and her friends are ill-prepared to deal with the likes of the Umbrum!" Celestia said with resolve.
"And shall we do with--Gah!?" Luna was cut off by a flash of light and a loud popping sound. Celestia was able to see what had just transpired and a frown adorns her features. Hope had regained consciousness teleported away. "What just occurred?"
"It would appear as though Hope has left us, dear sister. She has no doubt returned to Crystal Empire to warn Sombra of our coming. We must go now. I will appoint our guards to defend the city in our absence. Meet me at the entrance of the town, and we shall move from there," The two sisters both nodded to each other before flaring their horn and teleporting out of the bedchamber.
[A few minutes later.]
The ensuing chaos the changeling had wrought began to settle. Thankfully, none of the citizens sustained an injury in the attack. Only a few guards were harmed but suffered no losses. Celestia had just finished delegating tasks to her most trusted guard ponies to secure Canterlot while She and her sister head off to the Crystal Empire and confront Sombra. The solar alicorn was standing at the city entrance, staring off into the distance, while facing in the direction of the Empire. The sound of a teleportation spell alerted the sun princess that her sister had returned.
"I have returned, sister. The lunar guards are working in tandem with yours in reinforcing our defenses," Luna said as Celestia giggles.
"It is funny Lulu. The two guard factions would never be seen working together,"
"This is true, Tia. To think that all it took for them to stop acting like a bunch of foals was for a crisis to occur our capital," They both shared a laugh before they adopted a stern expression. "Time is of the essence. Are you ready, my sister?"
"I am. It's time to depart!" With that said, both of their horns glowed as they channeled their magic and vanished from sight.
[Unknown Location.}
Goku stood in the opened field with a dumbfounded expression. Rabia and the others had discarded their adorable features to something more nightmarish. "I've been getting this funny feeling the moment I met you, Rabia. I guess I know why," He said with a frown.
"The deception was necessary for our freedom from this wretched plane of existence. But now it is no longer required. One of our agents from the outside has broken the seal that confines us here. We are now free to leave and do as we please!" Rabia said with jubilation or at least something akin to it. Her face seemed to be incapable of forming other expressions besides intimidation.
"And what will you do?" Goku asked.
"We shall do what we have always done; feed on the hatred of others. Spread our influence far and wide to make the world more suitable to our liking!"
"No way! Not on my watch!!! YAH!!!" Goku ignited his aura and took his stance. The Umbrum recoiled at the display of power but held their ground.
"It is useless to stand against us. Your hatred will be refreshing. An excellent snack to start our feast!"
"We'll see about that!" Goku roared as he charged forward.
Goku throws out a punch that harmlessly phases through Rabia's muzzle. Confused, he quickly follows up with a roundhouse kick only to receive the same result. "What's going on? Why won't any of my attacks land against her?" Goku thought as he threw multiple punches in rapid succession. Rabia watches Goku futile attempt to strike with a bemused glare. She rears back and rams Goku right into his midsection. Unlike Goku's attacks, Rabia was able to knock the Saiyan back. Before Goku had a chance to recover, another one of the Umbrum jumps in and phase into his body. Goku thrashes around on the ground. He could feel the Umbrum shifting around the inside of him.
"Struggling is pointless. Now that my brother is inside of you, he won't leave until every drop of your hatred is--" Rabia was interrupted when Goku suddenly jumps back to his feet. Goku then crossed his arms over his chest and forcefully expelled the intruder from his body. If Rabia could express a look shock, she would. Never before has any being on Equis had the power to fight off the feeding process? "What is the meaning of this?"
The Umbrum coughed and shuddered as it tried to speak. "The creature - his hatred!!! - I couldn't feed off of his hatred!!!" All of the Umbrum sharply recoiled at this. Rabia narrows her eyes at Goku while the rest of her brethren studies him warily.
"You guys remind of Devilman. He had this attack that targeted the evil in a person's heart," Goku stated before he sent them a smirk. He couldn't beat me because there was no evil in my heart. The same thing goes hatred," Goku explains. Rabia seemed to shake with fury at what she just heard.
"If we cannot feed off of you, then we shall just remove you!" Rabia and the others jumped high into the air before they all dove straight for Goku. Goku quickly takes to the skies to avoid the dogpile. He watched as the Umbrum squirmed around before they recovered. Most of them were surprised that Goku was flying in the air like a pegasus. But they shook off their stupor and shot up after him.
"If my fists can't harm them then maybe this will! Rapid Fire!" He called out as he sent a volley of ki blast at his assailants. Rabia was the only one able to react fast enough to evade the attack. Her brethren weren't so lucky as the barrage consumed them. Rabia paused yet again. She didn't believe anything other than beings with vast quantities of magic could hurt them. Goku smirks at the fact that now he can deal out some damage and turns to Rabia while more Umbrum came to her side.
"Give up, and your demise shall be quick and painless. We outnumber you a thousand to one. Eventually, you will tire, and we will triumph!"
Goku chuckles at this. "A thousand to one, huh? That sounds fun. It will be like fighting the Red Ribbon Army all over again!" Goku turned his back to his foes and flew off to gain some distance. The Umbrum gave chase. Goku peeks over his shoulder to see the ghostly horde gaining on him. He turns around while maintaining his course and holds out his palms. "Destructo Disk!" He called out as he fires two Ki discs. The Umbrum saw this coming and quickly dispersed into two groups. However, Goku's attack followed them. The two attacks tore a path through the ghostly horde. Rabia had managed to avoid the attack and gritted her teeth at the sight of her brethren getting chopped to pieces. It was apparent that Goku had them outmatched.
"My brethren! Forget this fool. We have waited far too long for our freedom for some freak of nature to stop us!" Rabia stated.
"What's the matter? Finally calling it quits?" Goku taunted, but Rabia was no fool.
"We don't need to fight you. We have already won. This dimension shall become your prison!" With that said Rabia and the others made a beeline for the exit with Goku on hot pursuit. The Saiyan warrior fired multiple ki blasts to that took out a few of them, but the Umbrum pressed on. They soon came upon a crumbling building structure with an ordinary door attached to it. Realizing their freedom was at and, Rabia instantly turned around and fired a blast of smoke from her mouth. Goku was unfortunate enough to be caught within it. With Goku temporarily indisposed, the Umbrum flooded through the door frame until only Rabia was the last one to pass through. Goku flexed his Ki and blew the smoke away. He locked eye with Rabia who was standing inside the open door. Goku could swear he saw a smug smile coming from her before she moved on. The door close behind her just as Goku finally reached it. He tried to open it only by an unknown force to push him back.
"What!? You must be kidding me! The seal must have been put back in place..." Goku summarized. Goku sucks his teeth in frustration as he sat down and tried to figure it what to do next.
[The Crystal Empire, A few minutes before the Umbrum emergents.]
All across the Crystal Empire, many battles took place. The elements were busy dealing with Sombra's gallery of rogues. Meanwhile, Spike and Scootaloo dealt with the changelings in the skies. Twilight, Starlight, and Rarity made short work of Iron Will. Starlight used her duplication spell and cloned herself. The two Starlights bound both of his arms with a magic rope.
Meanwhile, Rarity utilized the tarp from one of the stands to secure his legs. Once the hulking minotaur was rendered immobile, Twilight launched a knockout beam spell, and the raging bull put to rest. Applejack found that dealing with the Flim-Flam brothers Mrk.1 battle suit challenging indeed. All of her strongest bucks couldn't break through the suits shieldings. The two brothers mocked her efforts. That is until Pinkie rejoined the fray. She moved in on Flam from behind taps him on the shoulder. The unicorn turned around and was met face to face with the party cannon.
Pinkie held a wide grin as she fired it at point-blank range. Despite her ammunition being nothing but confetti, the force was enough to blow to armored unicorn back. Pinkie had managed to dislodge the power core with her little surprise attack and allowed Applejack to deliver the final blow on the Mrk.1 battle armament. One good buck was all it took for the suit crumble to pieces, and the two con-ponies found themselves hogtied courtesy of Applejack's trusty lasso. Rainbow Dash and Lightning Dust second bout took them over various locations around the Crystal Empire.
They soared through the air while exchanging blows; zooming across multiple areas, passing by guards and civilians alike. The battle was at a standstill until Lightning Dust manages to knock Rainbow Dahs into an animal pin. As a result, the furry creatures to scatter about in a panicked frenzy. Lightning was about to capitalize on her advantage until she felt an icy chill run down her spine. She could feel an immense pressure slowly take hold of her. She quickly turns around to find Fluttershy, eyes narrowed, and with a frown on her face. Fluttershy's stare was in full force. Rainbow saw her window of opportunity and struck. The colorful pegasus attacked with a fierce uppercut that knocked Lightning Dust out. With their adversaries defeated, The girls regrouped.
"It's good to see you girls are alright," Twilight said with relief.
"Relax Twilight. We had everything under control. Right Fluttershy?" Rainbow said.
"Oh, um, it was nothing really," Fluttershy responded.
"We can't relax just yet. There are still changelings filling the skies," Starlight reminded.
The moment Starlight uttered those words, something crashed into the ground in front of them. The girls peered their heads into the crater to discover a changeling drone unconscious within it. They shifted their attention back to the skies to find Spike and Scootaloo making quick work of them.
"Ah'd say Spike and Scootaloo got a handle on things up there," Applejack noted.
"I would have to agree with you on that, darling." Rarity comments.
[Spike's POV.]
I watched Scootaloo sent a changeling slamming into the ground. She was laying into them. I guess I would be angry too if I gotten captured and then replaced. I saw three changelings try attacking her blindside, but I went to intercept. I slammed my elbow into the first changeling muzzle before I flipped over it and caught the second one with a heel kick to the skull. The last changeling tried to tag me with a jab, but I tilted my head to the side to dodge it. I plunged my knee-deep into his stomach and watched them all fall to the ground. Scootaloo came back besides with a grateful smile.
"Thanks, Spike," She said. Scootaloo grabbed the arm of another changeling and hurled it into a group of them. "These bugs are such pushovers!"
"If that's true then how come you got caught by them?" I responded. Scootaloo proceeded to pout at me. I instantly deflected a blast of magic that was homing in on us and redirected it back to its sender. Scootaloo has a good point. Dealing with these changelings is a breeze thanks to Goku's training. I wonder if that means they got lucky at the wedding or the guards just dropped the ball.
"Hey! There was a bunch of them, and the bug queen was there!" Scootaloo whined, but then she had a look of realization. "Say where is she anyway?"
"Right here!" We both turn around to find the queen herself. She wore a smug-looking grin and a dark green dress. What caught our attention was that she was wearing the power pole on her back.
"HEY! THAT'S MINE! GIVE IT BACK!!!" Scootaloo demanded.
Chrysalis let out a chortle at this. "It would seem that your last lesson in manners didn't quite sink in. You still do not know your place!" She sneered at us. We watched as she slowly revealed the power pole and went to admire it. I have no clue why anypony does this. It's somewhat creepy. "An excellent weapon like this shouldn't be placed in the hands of a filly~."
"I'll show you!!!" Scootaloo was about to rush in when I stopped her. "Wha-- Why'd you stop me!?"
"She's trying to rile you up. Remember what Goku said about keeping a calm mind?" I told her. Thankfully, she listened to me and took a deep breath. I nodded gratefully before turning to the queen. "That was a gift from our master. Somepony like you has no business with it!"
"Yes, Son Goku, how is your master these days, hmmm~. I wonder where he is? Shouldn't he be helping his students defend the Crystal Empire? I suppose he wasn't as great as you believed him to be," Chrysalis stated. You can call me a hypocritic if you want, but that got an angry snort out of me. All the remaining changelings rallied behind her. I guess they were going to try and overwhelm us.
"This little game has been very entertaining. But the time for fun and games has come to an end. Remove these pests from my sight, my changelings!" She ordered, and the entire horde descended upon us. Scootaloo looked at me with a blank expression before I only shrugged. Moments later, Scootaloo flickers out of sight, completely bypassing the horde and reappeared right in front of the queen. The look of surprise on her face was priceless. With a mischievous smile, she buries her fist into Chrysalises abdomen. Chrysalis coughed up some green blood and doubles over, allowing Scootaloo to take the power pole and its sheath from her.
"You better not have gotten your cooties on it!" Scootaloo said as she places her weapon back in its sheath and wraps around her back. The horde stops their advance once their queen falls to the ground. That was a wrong move on their part. You should always keep your eyes on your opponent. I reached for my weapon. Then I raised the Banshou fan high into the air and prepared to swing.
*Whistle*
"I hope you didn't forget about me!" I said with emphasis on the 'me.' I swung the Banshou fan, and a mighty gust of wind sent the changelings scattering. Scootaloo takes the power pole and begins brushing up on her batting practice by swatting away the changelings while they are still disoriented. "Time for a little pest control. Rapid Fire!" I called out. My barrage of Ki blasts took out the remaining changelings. I stopped firing once I was sure they had been taken out. Scootaloo rejoined my side as we slowly descended back to ground level. I saw Scootaloo walk up to Chrysalises unconscious form. She probably wanted to celebrate some more. The girls made their way towards us as well.
"Spike!" Twilight called out to me. "Are you two, ok? Did you get all of them?"
"I'm pretty sure they all taken care of, Twilight," Rainbow said.
"Yes but what about--"
"EVERYPONY, COME QUICK!!!" Scootaloo yelled out. We made our way over to her only to stop in our tracks at sight before us.
"Ah, don't get it? It's just another changeling..." Applejack said, but I was frowning.
"I know, but this changeling was pretending to be the bug queen!" Scootaloo elaborated. The other's gasped at this revelation while my frowns deepen.
"I don't understand? Why would Chrysalis have a drone pose as her?" Starlight asked.
"It was a distraction..." I said, bringing everyone's attention to me.
"Chrysalis has to be looking at something else. We better send a letter to the princesses to be safe!" Twilight said. Before we could do anything, I sensed multiple Ki signatures coming from the palace. I couldn't quite describe it. It felt like that time I fall in the cold water at winter wrap up. An icy chill surrounded my entire body. I turned to Scootaloo and saw her rubbing her arms while looking at the palace as well. Even Pinkie Pie's Pinkie Sense was causing to convulse all over the place.
"Darlings? What is happening?" Rarity asked.
"A doozy! An enormous, awful doozy is coming!!!" Pinkie said urgently.
"Bring it on! We can take anything they can throw at us!" Rainbow said confidently. The Ki I was sensing was coming closer and closer. I was getting a bad feeling until something even stranger happened. The crystal palace spewed out a thick smog. It climbed higher into the sky until it blocked out the sun. "Um... What's with the smoke cloud? Is there a fire in the palace or something?"
Upon closer inspection, I saw movement within the cloud. "I'm not sure, but I think those are ponies?" I said. They were about to question me when suddenly the haze spread out, and the ponies inside shot straight for us.
"EVERYPONY GET BEHIND ME!!!" I yelled as I brought my arms up. I focused my Ki and expanded it around our group. "Energy Shield!" I shouted. A green dome formed around us and pretty soon, I felt whatever it was out there bashing against it.
"Good on ya, Spike," Applejack praised.
"I didn't believe you can create shields?" Starlight said in astonishment.
I grunted as the bashing grew in intensity. "Girls! Less gushing, more planning, now!"
"These things are scary..." Fluttershy muttered.
"Hey, girls. Somepony's put up up another bubble," Pinkie said. We all looked up to see that a shield surround the Empire.
"This is well new, right? Perhaps Shining Armor or Princess Cadence conjured it," Rarity said hopefully.
"But why would they do that with these varmints roaming around?" Applejack inquired.
"Let's just use our Rainbow power and blast them away!" Rainbow suggested.
"We need time to perform the spell, and these things don't seem keen on waiting!" Twilight said as another one of these ponies slammed into the shield. This situation was getting ridiculous. I was about to suggest teleporting out of here when I felt two very familiar Ki signatures appear in the Empire.
"Hey, the princesses are here!" Scootaloo exclaimed.
"You're right! I can sense their magic. I'm sure they can handle things. We need to hold on until then!" Twilight assures us. I hope she's right.
[Third Person POV.]
Sombra was standing on the balcony of the crystal palace as the Umbrum swarm the area below. "At long last, you are free, my brethren..." He continued the scene with a sense of accomplishment. All that he had work and thrive for coming together. He took in the sight of the citizens running in panic, trying to escape outside the Empire limits. "That won't do at all," He said as he primed his horn. He launched a beam of magic into the air that stopped at the height of the Crystal Empire. The magic started to expand and encompass the entire kingdom. A wicked smirk spread across Sombra lips now that the crystal ponies had no way of escaping.
"You won't get away with this Sombra!"
Sombra let out an annoyed sigh as he turned to his 'guest.' Cadence was sitting next to the throne. Her mane was unkempt, and her dress was filthy. The crystal protrusion that littered her horn prevented her from accessing her magic. Two of the Umbrum acted as guard dogs to ensure Cadence would not attempt to run away. They would occasionally glare at the princess of love before facing forward again. Sombra noted the hateful scowl she directed and was slightly impressed.
"Honestly, Princess. That line had gone out of style before the Crystal Empire disappeared,"
"And the Empire vanished because of your doing!"
"Silence, wretch! You are lucky the King allows you to continue to draw breath. Let alone speak in his presence!" One of the Umbrum said.
"Just what are these creatures? What were they doing sealed in that room, and why have you released them?" Cadence demanded.
"Aw, to be so young and naive. These beings are known as Umbrum. The former ruler of the Empire imprisoned them for the crimes of following their nature. As for why I released them..." He trailed off as he approached Cadence and gently ran his fingers through her mane. This action caused Cadence to move her head away in disgust. "...We all have our roles to play. And mine has been fulfilled. Now nothing is preventing me from taking back what was mine." Before he could continue, a bright flash emitted. Sombra felt the familiar sensation of a teleportation spell subsiding. He turns to find Hope panting heavily on her knee's. She shivers every so often as Sombra approached her. He could tell from the battle damage that she was not an easy confrontation. Sombra kneels and offers her his hand.
Cadence was taken aback at the delicate nature Sombra was displaying right now. "Who is that mare? Another one of your pawns?" She spat out, but then she instantly regretted it when Sombra shot her a glare that could kill an Ursa.
"You will never refer to her like that again! Unless you want to experience the same treatment, I gave to your predecessor!!!" Sombra threatened, and Cadence wisely remained silent. She still had no idea who he was referring too. But she was more interested in the unicorn in front. Thanks to her unique talent, she can tell that Sombra cared deeply for this mare. 'But how can a heartless tyrant express such feelings?'
Sombra turns his attention back to hope and slowly brought her to a standing position. "You look worse for wear," Sombra joked, but Hope didn't respond. "I assume the princesses had been taken care of?"
Hope remained quiet for a few seconds before she looked up at him. Sombra frowned at the look Hope was sending him; defeat. "No. The princesses were far stronger than anypony could have predicted,"
"I should have realized something was off when that bugs life force disappeared..." He trailed off as he picked up two distinct yet very familiar Ki signatures. "And now the royal sister's have come for a meeting. It would be rude if I don't go and greet them. Stay here, Hope and recover your strength,"
"Sombra...! w-what is that?" Hope asked breathlessly. She gestures over to the two Umbrum standing by Cadence. Sombra noticed a look of fear on his companion face as she continued to stare at them.
"They are the Umbrum, Hope. Why are you so surprised? I thought you said you met them beforehand?"
"No, they can't be the Umbrum. The ones I met were smaller, cute, and less grotesque!" Sombra quirked an eyebrow while Cadence shook her head in disappointment.
"I don't know much about these creatures, but it is clear that they have been deceiving you!" Cadence said as she turns her glare to Sombra. "...in more ways than one!" Sombra snorted in response before turning to leave.
"Our bodies were destabilized once we left our imprisonment. Do not fear us, Hope. We're still your friends~."
"...Rabia?" Hope timidly asked as Rabia nodded in response.
"Don't believe they say! Just look outside and see the horrors they wrought!" Cadence interjected.
"SILENCE!!!" Rabia demanded.
Hope was at her breaking point. She slowly made her way to the balcony and gasped at what she saw. The Umbrum, her so-called "friends," we're currently attacking the citizens. Widespread panic was rampant, and she could hear the screams of terror and pleas for help. The Crystal Empire was under besieging, and she played a hand in it. Hope felt ill. The words of Chrysalis began to echo in her mind.
"You little fool! You know nothing of them or their nature. I may look like a ravishing young beauty, but I have lived for thousands of years, and I have witnessed their terror first hand! I have seen lush, healthy forests reduced to nothing more than a barren wasteland. How do you think the Badlands came to be? It was all at the hooves of those monsters!"
Hope shook her head again and looked towards her long-time friend, hoping to find something - ANYTHING - to silence the doubt growing in her heart. Sombra features bared no emotion, however. That was something Hope did not want to see. "Sombra...? Please say something...!"
Sombra went to speak, but a blast in the distance cut him off. He turned to the disturbance and deduced that the princesses were fighting off the Umbrum. "...I have to go, Hope. The princesses threaten to ruin everything we worked for if I do not confront them..." He said without facing her.
"Were we even working toward the same goal?" Hope said bitterly.
"I will explain once I've returned," Was his reply. "Ensure that Radiant Hope remains unharmed!" And with that, Sombra took off in the air. However, he could not shake the feeling of regret that was growing by the second. "She will understand... She has too,"
"BEGONE FOUL APARISTION"! Luna shouted as she blasted another Umbrum into oblivion.
"I didn't want to believe you about the Umbrums return, Luna but you were correct in your decision to come here!" Celestia said as she cleaved another foe in half with her sword. Both of the sister's arrived in the empire only to be immediately attacked by the Umbrum. They donned their armors, and the battle commenced.
"I held doubts myself, sister. But, unfortunately, fate had decided otherwise!" Luna said as an Umbrum tried to attack from above. Luna twirls her scythe and splits it in two. "Have you located Cadence and the others.
"Cadence is in the palace. I can feel that these monsters are guarding her. I am unsure about the elements. I know they are within the kingdom. However, the Umbrum is making it difficult to find them," Celestia then takes her trident and hurls at the Umbrum to her right. The trident hit its mark and soared across the street while collided against two others. The weapon embedded itself onto a wall, and the three Umbrum struggled to get free. Celestia appeared before with her sword raised high. In one swift motion, she decapitated all three of them in one swing of her sword. Three more Umbrum tried to ambush the solar alicorn while she was distracted. Luna quickly reminded them that she was there as well. She ran up and slid by them while taking a neutral position. The Umbrum was confused by what she had done until their bodies froze over and shattered into pieces.
"It is not like you to drop your guard sister," Luna teased.
"I had everything under control, Luna. Your assistance, while appreciated, was unneeded," Celestia said with a playfully humph. "All joking aside, the Umbrum seem to be vast in numbers. We must find a way to seal them again,"
"What of the Crystal Heart? I thought its purpose was to act as a deterrent for beings such as these,"
"I believe somepony might have removed it from its pedestal. Only one name comes to mind,"
"Sombra!"
"How very astute of you Celestia!" A voice called out. The princesses were instantly on alert as the sound of clapping made itself known. They turned to its source and were shocked by sight before. A stallion, no, a man was slowly descending from the air while giving them applause. While he has somehow altered the appearance, there was no mistaking the armor he wore, the green sclera and red irises, and the most condemning evidence of all; the long red-tinted horn that curved upwards.
The royal sister stood dumbfounded before Celestia went to speak. "Sombra!? What has happened to you?"
"Careful Celestia, one might confuse your shock for concern~" Sombra teased. However, Luna was not amused.
"Do not flatter yourself, tyrant! What has brought about this change? Why do you bear resemblance--"
"--Son Goku?" Sombra said, finishing her sentence. "I needed assistance, and he was more than willing to aid me. He is a fine fellow once you get to know him."
Celestia snorted in disgust as she spoke next. "I sincerely doubt there was any coercion between you two. What have you done with him? Why is the Crystal Empire teaming with the Umbrum? What madness are you trying to sow?"
Sombra merely chuckled at her question. "To answer your issues in order; I needed Son Goku out of the way, so he is out of the way. This kingdom is MINE, The Crystal Empire is MINE, and I will do as I please with it! And this is not madness; this is a revolution! I will right the wrongs that have been done to me and my brethren, starting with you two!!!"
Celestia was done listening at that point. But the conversation she had with her sister began to stir in her head. If Sombra can find it in his heart to reform, then it was worth a try. "It is sad that you feel this way Sombra. What compels you to perform such evil deeds?" She asked rhetorically. "I believe that once an upon a time, you were a harmonious pony. You can be again. You have to be willing to accept harmony into your heart," She said as she offered the dark king her hand. "Will you accept my friendship?"
Sombra was not expecting a proposal. He was waiting for the royal sister to give him the same old tired rhetoric of how he was the "Ultimate Evil" and they will stop him before he harmed anyone else. But a genuine offer at peace? It was too good to be true. A part of him almost reached out for the hand in front of him. Almost. Sombra, instead, took his hand and slapped Celestia's palm away. Celestia backs away in shock as Sombra spoke.
"Do you take for a fool!? You believe that if you offered your hand in peace, it would erase all the pain you caused me on multiple occasions?" He spat out. His tone was dripping with venom. "I was fooled once by a royal; I won't be again!"
Celestia sighed and shook her head in disappointment. "Then you leave us with no other option," She said as she rejoins her sister. "Let's end this..."
"For once, we agree..." Sombra said as he summoned his halberd.
Luna teleported behind Sombra and charged forward. Celestia opted to remain in front of him for a frontal attack. Sombra gathered his Ki in his palm and shot it between his feet. The resulting collision created a smokescreen to conceal himself. The two sisters passed by each other in the smoke with Sombra nowhere in sight. The royal sisters look up to find that Sombra had retreated to the skies; prompting them to give chase. Sombra focused his Ki into his halberd and swung it down toward the sisters.
"Desolation Wave!" He called out. A slash of dark energy barreled toward them at high speeds. Celestia and Luna barely had time to dodge via teleport before they watched the attack continue on its course. The attack tore the buildings below asunder and split the ground apart. Sombra gritted his teeth at his failure while the two alicorns retaliated. Luna sent a wave of her own while Celestia fires a beam spell through her sword. Sombra quickly brought up a shield that was able to hold off both of their attacks. Luna switched tactics and decided to try some close-quarters combat. Sombra responds in kind and their weapons clashed as one attempted to overpower the other.
"You shall not win, villain!" Luna said.
"I already have!" Sombra replied. However, his eyes widen when his halberd began to freeze over. "What?!" Celestia took advantage and dropped kicked the tyrant back to the ground. Sombra laid in a crater with pieces of rubble covering his body. He slowly opened his eyes and saw Celestia trident heading straight for him. He flips out of the way, narrowly avoiding getting impaled, and gained some distance. The royal sisters landed across from him and combined their magic. Sombra mimics their actions and channels his magic. Both parties launched offensive spells that collided with each other and struggled for dominance. The princesses and the tyrant clashed for a few moments until Sombra fed more of his magic into his spell to gain the upper hand. The princesses weren't prepared for this and blown back. They skidded across the ground as Sombra leaped into the air and commenced another attack. "DIE!!!"
Celestia saw this and quickly countered. "YOU PRESUME TOO MUCH!!!" She exclaimed as she fires a beam spell at the airborne tyrant. Sombra easily deflects it, thus, leaving him wide open. Celestia jumps up connects with a left hook that sends Sombra reeling. He started to back-dash away while the royal sister was in hot pursuit. Sombra took the high ground once and fired a volley of ki blasts at Celestia. Luna tried to attack him from his blindside, but Sombra flickers out of harm's way. He reappears behind her and slams his elbow into the back of her head. Celestia manages to cut through blasts, but one of them slips through. The explosion explodes on contact and sent her crashing into the ground below. Sombra then grabbed hold of Luna's foreleg and dragged to ground level.
"Muahahaha!" He cackled like a mad man as he slams the lunar goddess into the roof of a tall building. The force of the slam blew out all the windows as Luna fell through different floors. Sombra stops and lands in front of the building with a satisfied smirk on his face. He surveyed the damage as the royal sister's emerged out of the rubble. Celestia and Luna's expressions were stoic as they stared down Sombra. The solar alicorn idly wipes away the scuff marks on her armor. Luna turns her head to the side and spat out a tiny bit of blood. Sombra's smirk morphs into a manic grin. The fact that he did little to no damage to his opponents excited him to no end. Celestia and Luna slowly walked up until they stopped a few feet from him.
"Give up Sombra. You can't possibly hope to best the both of us!" Luna stated.
"My offer still stands Sombra. Only you can save yourself. Lay down your weapons and cease this pointless battle!" Celestia
"Surrender is not in my vocabulary, my dear princesses!" He replied. "Besides, this is far too entertaining!"
Luna spares her sister a glance to which Celestia nodded in acknowledgment. "Then you've dug your own grave..." They both said. The two sisters then slipped across the ground without moving and merged as one. Celestia stood in front of Luna while Sombra waited eagerly for the fight to recommence. Faster than he could blink, both sister's proceeded to blitz him. Sombra tried to attack Celestia first, but she evades by teleporting behind him, leaving him open for Luna to score a jab at his face. What followed next was a series of coordinated attacks by the royal sisters.
Sombra was being pushed further and further by their outstanding teamwork. They left no opening for him to counter-attack as they pressed on. He tried to defend against an overhead slash courtesy of Luna, but her weapon properties froze his halberd solid. Celestia then made her move and slashes down on his halberd, thus, wrecking it. Sombra panic now that his only means of defense was gone. He decided that now would be best for a tactical retreat, but the royal sisters had other plans. They both fired a beam spell into his back, causing fall to ground level. The two alicorns then channeled their magic into their weapons for a final attack.
"Celestial..." Celestia started.
"...Retribution!!!" Luna finished. They swung their weapons downward, and two waves emerged. The attack merged into a bright yellow, white outlined cross. Sombra had just enough time to scream out in terror before pain enveloped him.
"WAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaagh!!!" Sombra's wail of pain was almost on par with the Royal Canterlot Voice. A dome had formed around the impact zone before it shot up to the skies. The pillar of light lasted for a solid minute before slowly subsiding. Celestia and Luna landed on the edge of the crater, scanning for any signs of life. To their surprise. Sombra's body laid in the center of the crater. They looked at each other warily before making their way down to him. Once they were near the body, Celestia performs a magic scan to check vitals. The results came back negative.
She lets out a sigh of remorse before speaking. "It is over. Sombra is no longer with us..." Celestia confirmed grimly.
Luna places a hand on her big sister shoulders to comfort her. "You did all you could to spare him, sister. Regrettably, he could not see reason, but he has made his choice," Luna said. She turns her gaze to the Umbrum who watched the whole battle take place. Luna found it odd that never interfered with their fight. She was even more perplexed that they are somewhat complacent with their master's passing. "We still have a task to perform, sister. The Umbrum have gathered, and they might be preparing an all-out assault against us!"
"Then let's rid the Crystal Empire of these nuisances once and for all!" Celestia said with determination.
"I couldn't agree more!" A voice called out. Both the princesses hearts sank to the pit of their stomachs. They wiped their heads around to Sombra's corpse; expecting the dark king to have vanished. However, they became confused when Sombra's body was still in its original position. That confusion turns into shock as the body faded from sight right before their eyes. They heard the unique hum of a horn channeling magic. They whipped around again to locate its source. Only to be greeted with a beam spell slamming into them. As quickly as the period struck, it dissipated. Sombra stood at the edge of the crater as he gazed upon his former adversaries.
"Please forgive the deception, princesses. But creating a clone of myself utilizing Ki energy was something I was dying to try out," He said as he walked towards them. "It is a rather impressive technique. But I don't believe I will be using it often. It does have some rather annoying drawbacks; such as diminishing my strength by half. I'm honestly surprised it lasted as long as it did. Perhaps I need more practice. What do you two think, hmm?"
"..."
"Well, that's rather rude. I want some feedback. Constructive criticism is fine by me," Sombra said condescendingly.
"..."
"Oh, haha, how silly of me. I really must stop conversating with inanimate objects!" Sombra shouted victoriously. Sombra's spell had reduced the royal sisters to stone imprisonment. They were stock-still, much like how Discord used to be. The explicit expressions of befuddlement written across their faces-- Sombra knew that, while they could not move, they could still hear. And he could only imagine the myriad of emotions they must be feeling right now.
"I suppose I must get going. I have other matters to attend too. Namely, dealing with another princess in my kingdom, Ta ta for now," Sombra said with a wicked gleam. "I want my new decorations in the throne room before I return!" Sombra commanded, and the Umbrum nodded. He then set out to deal with the last obstacles in his conquest.
[The Crystal Palace, Throne room, Radiant Hope's POV]
"I don't understand. How could everything turn out this way?" I muttered in a small voice. I was resting on knees where I first teleported into the throne room. I knew those things were watching me. But I couldn't bring myself to look at them. How could I let them pull the wool over my eyes? I never wanted to terrorize the Crystal Empire! And Sombra He knew about them. "He was aware of their true nature, and he didn't tell me..." I hung my head down solemnly.
"It's not your fault, Radiant Hope," I heard the princess say to me. "Sombra is a master at bending ponies to his will," I felt my anger boil up after listening to that. I was about to tell her off until she said something that shocked me. "But-- I am afraid I can't be unbiased in my opinion of him. Earlier when you arrived, Sombra showed a side of himself that none of us knew existed. He was compassionate with you," She said. I heard a snort come from her left and figured it was Rabia. She most likely didn't agree with what the princess said.
"Sombra had always been like that towards me. He was fun, energetic, and a classic troublemaker. Despite falling ill all the time, he would always come to keep me company," I said with a sad smile.
"Do you know what change about him? Were there ever signs that told you Sombra was leading down a dark path?" She asked. I heard a groan come from her guard again.
"The master ordered you to be silent, wretch!" Rabia sneered but, surprisingly, Princess Cadence did not falter.
"I do not take orders from you or anypony else! As you can see 'we' are engaging in girl talk!" Rabia recoiled a bit before turning her head in frustration. She turns back to me with a smile. "Please continue,"
"Well, I didn't see any noticeable changes back when we were foals. The only time Sombra began to behave differently was when..." I trailed off once I realized something.
"When what?" She asked anxiously.
"I could I have missed that..." I said. I was mentally kicking myself. Sombra isn't evil, just misguided. I need to let him know right away. We can still fix everything. I sprang up to my hooves and started to leave the throne room, but Rabia stopped me.
"Where are you going, Hope?"
"I'm leaving. There is something I have to attend too!"
"We were ordered to protect you. Letting you leave would be counterproductive to the master's desires,"
"No, you were ordered to make sure I am unharmed. No harm will come to me in the palace now that we have it under our control. Plus, I am also not confined to this room!" I said sternly. Rabia steps closer while staring at me with those white, soulless eyes. She finally took a step back and spoke.
"Very well, Hope. We will inform our liege. Farewell Radiant Hope," Something about the way she said that sent chills down my spine. Could she be on to me? I carefully walk out the throne room while carrying Princess Cadence a reassuring look. Little did I know how complicated things were going to become.
[Spike,s group, Third Person POV]
"Twilight! I can't hold them back forever! We need a plan now!!!" Spike grunted out. Wave after wave, the Umbrum tried to penetrate the young drake's shielding. Spike remained adamant, but the constant pounding was taking its toll.
"I-I'm thinking but, with the shield up, we can't leave the Crystal Empire!' Twilight said frantically.
"We may not be able to leave the Empire, but perhaps we can move to an area they haven't occupied yet!" Starlight suggested.
"I say we just whoop their plots from her to Canterlot!" Scootaloo chimed in.
"Now that's a plan I can get behind!" Rainbow Dash supported.
"Ah, such language is hardly dignified!" Rarity chastised.
"We have bigger problems right than cussing right now!" Applejack said as another Umbrum rammed into the shield.
"What about the princesses?" Fluttershy asked.
"I felt their energy flare up not too long ago. The princesses might be fighting these things off!" Spike informed.
"Oh, oh, oh! Let's go to the market district. Those mean old ghost ponies haven't gone there, and they have a frugal horn stand!" Pinkie Pie squealed with joy.
"I don't see any other options. Spike, hold them off for a bit longer. I get us out of here!" Twilight stated. However, just as she was preparing a teleport spell, the Umbrum ceased their attack. Everyone was confused as to why they stopped. But their question was soon answered when a massive blast of Ki impacted against the shield. Spike was unprepared for the attack, and his shield shattered instantly. The forces of the explosion not only drew up a smoke cloud but divided their party. Twilight was the first to recover as she slowly got her bearings. The smoke was making it difficult to locate her friends, however.
"Spike, girls! Where are you?" Twilight said as she shifted through the smoke. Eventually, she bumps into something substantial. "Oh, sorry, Spike. Can you find the others through this smoke?"
"You should be more concerned about yourself, princess," A voice said. Twilight face rapidly turned pale. "As for your friends, I'll be sure to handle them as well!" Moments later, all the smoke on the vicinity dispersed with a wave of Sombra's hand. Twilight backpedals in shock at the sight of the dark king. She tried to channel her magic, but Sombra's hand shot to her horn faster them she could blink. Malicious intent shined in his eyes as he directs his magic. Twilight howlers in agony as she felt her magic suppressing. With the deed done, Twilight fell forward in a daze and right into Sombra's arms. The dark king surveyed the area to find that the princesses little entourage was coming too. The first was a colorful mare that quickly shot up and glared at him aggressively.
"Get your filthy claws off of her!" Rainbow shouted and charged in reckless abandon.
"Hmph!" He snorted as he raised his free hand. A shockwave erupted from his palm and pushed Rainbow back. She had tumbled on the ground before she adjusted herself.
"Gah!! What till I get my hands on you--ACK!?" Rainbow had no chance to react when one of the Umbrum phased into her body. She struggled and thrashed about as her body contorted sorely. The girls watched on in horror as their friend finally stops moving. Rainbow slowly looks at them with a vicious scowl while bearing the same eyes as the Umbrum.
"RAINBOW DASH! NOOOO!" The girl screamed out. But before they could do anything, the rest of the Umbrum struck. One by one, each of the girls became possessed. Their bodies moved uncontrollably, much like Rainbow Dash did moments ago, and held the same expression she had.
Spike and Scootaloo watched on in disbelief as the ponies they called friends and family glared down at them. "...Sis...?" Scootaloo said weakly.
Spike was finding it difficult to contain his growing rage. "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO THEM!?!?"
Sombra chuckles at this question which incited more rage from the Drake. "I haven't done anything at all. My brethren, however, is currently feeding on their hatred. And, yes, there is hatred lingering in their hearts. Every sentient being has this emotion, and no matter how small it is, rest assured, the Umbrum can find and feed off of it. They'll be "borrowing" their bodies until they finish their meal. Which reminds me, they still have two more meals to devour!" Sombra then extended his hand, and the Umbrum rushed the two apprentices.
"SPIKE!!! WHAT DO WE DO!?!?!" Scootaloo said in a panic. But Spike drowned her out. Instantaneously, he ignited his aura. The Umbrum tried to possess him only to bounce right off of him. Scootaloo saw this and summoned her aura as well. The result was the same form as it was for Spike. The Umbrum bounced off of her like a rubber ball against the sidewalk. "Hey, our aura's are like shields!"
Spike's rage subsided a little as he regarded Scootaloo words. "It doesn't look like they get breakthrough. Our Ki gives us some resistance!" He summarized before glaring back at Sombra.
"I really must test the limit of this Ki energy, but that will come later. For now, you all may dispose of them," Sombra said as he flared his horn and teleported away along with their friends. Spike and Scootaloo so found themselves surrounded by hostiles with murderous intent.
"Any ideas?" Scootaloo asked as she readied the power pole.
"Yeah, stay close to me. I got a new move I wanna try out!" Spike replied. He crossed his arms over his chest. His clawed digits curled out as he built up his Ki. The Umbrum decided they waited long enough and went to attack. Spike's eyes flashed green as thrust his arms outward. "Claws of the Emerald Dragon!!!" He called out as Ki blasts in the shape of waves bursts from him and traveled in all directions; ripping the Umbrum to shreds. Spike stood there panting before regaining his composure.
"...Awesome...!" Scootaloo said
Spike chuckles at her awestruck look before he turned serious. "C' mon, let's go save our friends and put an end to this madness!"
"Right!" And with that, Goku's pupils took flight and headed to the Crystal Palace for their final confrontation with King Sombra and his forces.